Let's Not, but Tell Everyone We Did
by NaturalDisaster5012
Summary: Jude is caught in a situation that she can't share with the world. So, by hiding from the press the superstar ends up in Tom Quincy's apartment, a stranger who wants nothing to do with her. Or does he? One lie turns into another until finally a web forms.
1. Prologue

Prologue:

Summary: One lie always leads to another, and then the web continues to weave. Eventually you can't see where you're going or what the truth is. Some people go along with the lies anyway, that being the only way to control their lives. Others have so much more to lose, careers, lives, and love. Jude and Tommy use lies to get closer together, but will it end up jut pushing them further apart once they've reached where they think they want to be?

Prologue:

He wrapped his arms around my waist and put his head on my shoulder. I smiled and laid my head on top of his. I leaned forward and pushed a level up, my own voice filling the confines of the room. He laughed and pulled it back down. I nudged the side of his head and pushed it back up. He settled and kissed my cheek. We sat in the one seat, me on his lap, spinning slowly in the chair. I guiltily thought about how I got here, how I got this famous.

I peeked up over his spiky blonde hair to look at another man. Tom Quincy was sitting in the other rolling chair, as far away from us as possible. I sighed and got off Cain's lap. I walked over to the hard, obnoxiously yellow couch. I lied down and pulled out my notebook. I made little adjustments to the song when I noticed Cain giving me a funny look. I just offered him a smile and returned to my work. "Speed up the baseline a bit," I said to Tommy. His eyes locked with mine, and he nodded. His hands gingerly moved the level, and then his gaze was on me again. I found it hard to concentrate when he was looking at me like that. I bit my lip and forced my eyes downward, looking at the words before me.

The studio door slid opened, which angered me. No one was allowed in my studio, especially during production. It messed up my whole drive, and I can never get my thoughts right. I saw the beautiful blonde girl who sang in the studio next to me walk over to Tommy. He smiled when he saw her and took the soda that her small, manicured hand currently held. I watched as he slowly took the can from her and pecked her lips. He thanked her and offered her a seat on his lap. She took it and asked about the board. She was so immature sometimes, not understanding the big kid's work. Tommy, though, never got tired of her or her questions. He answered and explained each one thoroughly and with a smile. Sierra explained that she needed to get back to Kwest for recording and apologized to me for the interruption. That made it so hard to hate her; she was so nice. Tommy watched her leave and with a smile no less.

Cain got out of the producer's chair and came over to the couch. He pecked my forehead and looked at the words I was writing. He praised them with such gentility that I believed him. When a song was in its writing stages I always thought it was crap. It wasn't until I could listen to it during production that I realized its true potential. Cain, though, allowed me to believe in it before that point. I smiled when he grabbed my waist and pulled me back over to the soundboard, again on his lap, and kissed my neck. I snuck a glance over at Tommy and saw that he wasn't happy. I sighed and kissed Cain quickly. I shouldn't care what he thinks. I have Cain, and he has Sierra. We're both over what's happened. We have to be. It's been over a year.


	2. Denied

"Denied"

"Denied"

Chapter One

Jude only saw black as her senses became better aware of her surroundings. She didn't want to open her eyes, or move at all. She felt so terribly comfortable that she knew she must be in heaven. She just had the best night's sleep of her life, and she decided that she wasn't moving for anything.

Tender lips kissed her temple, and she reconsidered that last promise. Why did she not remember last night? Who would be kissing her this early? Jude lazily opened one eyes, instantly regretting it. As soon as the blur of color focused she wasn't as comfortable anymore. The thought of more sleep was put out of her head, and she opened her other eye, giving up.

She looked over at the blaring red numbers of a digital clock and saw that it was 7:13. Considering the "PM" wasn't lit up, she figured it was the morning. Jude bit her lip and looked around. There was a man standing next to the bed, looking down at her. He was wearing low riding jeans and no shirt. She giggled at the happy trial of hair that resided right under her belly button; that were her secret turn on, a happy trail. She let her eyes roam up his thin, muscular body. He was tan, and his muscles were toned. He didn't have that tough-guy look about him though, more of a hot, preppy, male model. Finally she was able to look at his face. He had a small beard on his chin but no other facial hair. His eyes were brown, as was his hair, which was as long as his chin and slightly curly. He was definitely attractive, but Jude was confused as to why he was here.

She looked around the room. Why was_ she_ here? The walls were white and the furniture was black. The drawers of the dresser, nightstands, and entertainment center were silver. The room was plain, no carpet or pictures. The floor was a dark colored, hard wood. The sheets, blanket, and pillowcase where she was currently sprawled were a shockingly clean white. This man obviously was into the modern look. The bed was heightened off the floor about a foot, needing a step to get up to it. The man walked over to his dresser and opened up a drawer. He pulled out a dark green polo and slipped it on himself. He then pulled out a white button up with purple pin stripes going down it and threw it to Jude. "Keep it," was all he said.

Jude looked at the garment confused. She sat up straighter and grabbed the shirt. It was soft, cotton, and felt nice against her calloused fingertips. She looked down at herself and realized for the first time that she was completely naked. She instantly pulled the shirt around her and buttoned it up. "Who are you?" she hissed.

"Jeremy," he laughed, "I didn't think you would remember much. You were quite the wild one at Rebellion last night." Jude instantly smacked her forehead. Rebellion was Toronto's hottest night club, and she was a frequent visitor, as were a lot of famous people. Whenever she went there, though, she ended up drinking too much and doing things she'd regret. Usually things the paparazzi captured on film. This was surely the farthest she'd gone.

"If you knew that I was wasted why would you do this?" Jude asked. Surprisingly enough she didn't have a hangover and wasn't afraid to give this guy a piece of her mind. She hated feeling like trash, something the media seemed to accomplish everyday.

"Are you kidding? You're Jude Harrison. If I have the chance of course I'm going to bang you, and trust me girl," he sat on the bed next to her, "You were ready and willing." He leaned forward and kissed her quickly. Jude pushed him away as fast as she could, but he just bit her lip and held on. Jude whimpered when he lowered her back onto the bed. Jude struggled, but he refused to let up his advances. He pulled away from her and fingered the buttons of his own dress shirt. "I need to get to work, unless _something_ keeps me here and occupied." He eyed her chest, heaving under the shirt. Somehow he was able to pull himself away and smirk at her, "If not, you can go. There's nothing else I really wanted."

Jude, feeling cheap and used, stood. She found her bra and boy shorts on the floor and picked them up on her way out. She slipped them on under the shirt and walked through his apartment. She looked around quickly, looking for her other clothes but not finding them. She sighed and helplessly stood in the stranger's living room. He walked into the room, clasping a nice watch to his wrist. He smirked at her, "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? Where are my clothes?"

"Who knows? Who cares? Just please leave."

"I can't leave in just this! I'm Jude Harrison! People will see."

"Exactly, they'll see Jude Harrison coming out of _my_ apartment. Now go. Don't make this harder, or more embarrassing for yourself, than it has to be."

Jude felt like she wanted to cry. She wrapped her arms tightly around herself and held back the tears as best she could. Jeremy rolled his eyes and walked towards her. He grabbed her by her arm and pulled her toward the door. "Please, stop!" she called, "I don't have anywhere else to go! Please don't do this."

"Oh, shut up. I guess that mouth of yours really is only good for one thing."

Jude bit her lip to try to stop the tears. She felt disgusting, like nothing would ever hurt so much. She was so embarrassed and disgusted. Jeremy opened his door and shoved her out into the hallway of his apartment complex. She pulled the dress shirt tighter around her, trying to cover up as much as possible. It became obvious, quickly, that it was a lost cause. The shirt itself was see-through anyway.

Jude was standing in the middle of the hallway alone, not knowing what to do. People started to come up the stairs; she could hear them. Heavy footsteps of a group of people and busy murmuring penetrated the blonde's ears. She bit her lip when a few reporters came into view. They didn't notice her yet so she needed to think fast. Jude looked over her shoulder at Jeremy's door and shook her head; there's no way he would help her. He would probably make it worse, actually. Jude looked at the door right in front of her, Jeremy's next door neighbor. This was her only hope.

"Honey!" Jude whispered, harshly, as she banged on the door, hard. She just hoped whoever owned this place was home. The reporters heard her, and she gave them a nervous smile. She knocked harder on the door and tried to strike a sexy pose for the cameras that were flashing. "Baby," she whined, "I'm waiting. Open the door already!" She giggled and winked at the cameras.

Knowing the cameras were getting a lens full Jude fluffed her hair and pursed her lips. She might as well look good as long as these people are getting pictures. She angled her body, leaning her one arm against the doorframe. She smiled at the cameras again, laughing at some of the questions. Jude pulled on Jeremy's shirt, "This is his. He said I looked sexy in it so I hoped to surprise him."

"Jude! Jude! Who's your mystery man? Is he over aged?" Many reporters called. Jude winced; she hadn't thought about age. What if some creepy old man answered the door or some innocent little child? She could be ruining this person's life. Jude casually draped her hand behind her back and crossed her fingers. She silently prayed for this to all work out.

Miraculously, it did. A tall, gorgeous man answered the door upon hearing the commotion. He was in blue, low riding, plaid pajama pants. He was shirtless, exposing his six pack and body builder arms. He was rubbing his eyes, apparently being woken up prematurely. Jude smiled widely; he looked about twenty, not too old at all. Jude wrapped her arms around him before he could say anything to mess this up. "Baby!"

"What the…"

Jude pushed him into the apartment and kicked the door shut. "Hey babes, Surprise!" She yelled, knowing the paparazzi were still outside, listening. As soon as they were inside Jude pulled away from the man. He looked at her completely confused. "Are you high?" he asked her, obviously angry. Jude smiled weakly and shrugged.

"No, I'm not on drugs. I was just…" she searched for the right words, "In a predicament. I needed a way out. I'm sorry for dragging you into all of this…um…"

"Tommy," he introduced himself, though he didn't know why.

"Hi, Tommy. I'm Jude Harrison."

"Ooh."


	3. Rushed

"Rushed"

"Rushed"

Chapter Two

"_Are you high?" he asked her, obviously angry. Jude smiled weakly and shrugged._

"_No, I'm not on drugs. I was just…" she searched for the right words, "In a predicament. I needed a way out. I'm sorry for dragging you into all of this…um…""Tommy," he introduced himself, though he didn't know why._

"_Hi, Tommy. I'm Jude Harrison."_

"_Ooh." _

"Ooh?" Jude asked, placing a hand on her hip.

"Yeah, ooh," Tommy shot back at her.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you're famous. Surprise, surprise you're hiding something from the media, and surprise, surprise you don't care whose life you ruin along the way."

"You don't know anything about me; it was one mistake."

"Yeah, with many to follow. How old are you?"

"Seventeen."  
"Exactly, I'm twenty-four. So now, once they find out who I am, which you know they will, my life will be ruined because I'll be a statutory rapist. Thanks."

"I…I thought you were younger," Jude felt terrible. He was right; she was just stomping through life. She shrugged. "Look, I'll tell everyone that it was a mistake."

"How are you going to do that?" he snapped at her. Jude winced. He was really angry. Well, jeez. She had a rough morning too, buddy!

"I don't know, okay? I'll figure something out!"

"Yeah, you do that."

"What is your _problem_?"

"You! Some famous, under aged diva bursts into my life at eight in the morning who the world is going to think I'm sleeping with. I think I have a right to be angry."

"You do, I know you do, but yelling at me isn't going to do any good, you know."

"Well, it sure makes me feel good right now," Tommy said. His face had gotten a lot closer to Jude's during their fight, and Jude could now really look into his eyes. She saw hurt buried under the sea of blue, screaming to get out from the pressure. The gaze was becoming too intense for the both of them. Tommy felt like Jude was learning secrets about him, things he vowed to keep secret forever. Why did she have to pick _today_ to shake up his life? Why? Tommy sighed and blinked away from her. "Make yourself at home, _Darling_. I'll be in my room," he told her, bitterly.

Jude just nodded and watched him leave. She felt the strong need for a beer, but she felt intrusive going through his fridge. "_He did say to make myself at home_," she thought. She looked at the doorway that she knew led into the kitchen. She shrugged and walked in that direction. The kitchen was gorgeous, homey. The light, pink hued wood made up the cabinets and the island. The countertop was light granite, and the refrigerator was silver stainless steel. The dishwasher, sink, and microwave matched the style of the fridge. Jude walked over and opened the doors to the cool prison. A gust of air sent chills up Jude's spine as she searched for the alcohol. She didn't see any. She pushed a few things around but came up empty. "What're you doing?"

Jude jumped and turned her head, "What?"

"I asked what you were doing."

Jude sighed and pulled away. She walked over to the counter and lifted herself onto it. She swung her legs back and forth as she grabbed an apple from the basket and bit into it. "You said make yourself at home."

"Yeah?"

"I wanted a beer."

"This early?"

"Like you don't drink," Jude said with disbelief. Guilt seemed to make its way into Tommy's eyes as he looked away from her.

"I ran out," he explained, "I asked my friend to bring some over this morning. He should be here soon." Jude dropped her apple.

"He doesn't…happen to come in through your front door, does he?" She asked, meekly. Tommy's eyes widened as they both rushed to the door. Jude stopped him from opening it and pushed her ear to the door. Tommy followed her actions. They listened to a lot of clicking noises and talking. "Who do you think he is?" "Did someone talk to the super?" "Did you see what she was wearing?" "I didn't see her car outside." Jude sighed and pulled away. Tommy looked at her confused.

She looked so hurt; these people obviously did more damage than they were worth. He opened his mouth to ask her if she was alright, but the clicking on the other side of the door picked up considerably. "Who are you?" "Do you know the owner of the apartment?" "How do _you_ feel about the law?" "Are you going to be her twenty-one too?" A reporter yelled, quoting one of her earlier songs. Neither Tommy nor Jude knew who they were talking to. It could be someone innocent, like one of Tommy's neighbors, or it could be Kwest, Tommy's best friend with the beer.

"What are you talking about? Alright, all you reporter people listen up! My friend is a good man. Tom Quincy is a good man and would never break a law! He is a law abiding citizen and always has been! Whatever you think he did, you are wrong!" Tom winced when he heard his friend's voice. It was nice that he was sticking up for him, but he just gave away his name.

"Yeah, he wouldn't break any law…except statutory rape," one reporter yelled, trying to get a rise out of the friend.

"What?" Kwest was floored.

Jude thought fast and opened Tom's door. She grabbed Tom's friend and pulled him inside before he could talk anymore. The reporter's tried to snap shots of inside the apartment, but Jude slammed the door in their faces. Kwest stumbled, surprised by the action. He looked at Tommy, glaring. "When you asked me to bring beer over I didn't know I would be entering _hell_!" He yelled. Tom winced at his friend's tone.

"I didn't know you would be," he motioned to Jude, "_This_ one just barged through my life, bringing camera's into it. I forgot you were coming over until just now." Kwest turned to Jude to yell at her, but his mouth fell open at the site.

"Jude?" he asked her. Jude smiled angelically.

"Yeah, Kwest?"

"What are you _doing_? How do you know Tommy?"

"I don't."

"Alright, I'm lost," he said, throwing his hands up into the air. He suddenly took in Jude's appearance and disheveled hair. He turned to Tom with fire in his eyes. "Oh wait, not so lost anymore." He walked towards Tom and swung at his face. Tommy was able to duck the punch and delivered one right back to Kwest's stomach. Kwest doubled over in pain but kicked Tommy in the shins. They both fell to the ground but continued swinging at each other. Jude stepped forward.

"Stop fighting!" she yelled, catching both of their attention. They stood up, heaving and out of breath. Tommy looked at Kwest like he was crazy.

"What the hell was that, man?" Tommy asked, wiping blood from his mouth. Kwest held his stomach tenderly.

"For sleeping with my little sister, that's what." Tommy looked at him, confused.

"Little sister? Kwest, you're an only child."

"She's Sadie's little sister. You know, my fiancée?"

"Oh," Tommy replied, lamely.

"Yeah, _oh_, she also happens to be my artist."

"Wait," Tom interrupted, "_This_ is the phenomenal artist you've been raving about?" Kwest nodded and wrapped his arms around a blushing Jude's shoulders. Tommy scoffed and flicked his wrist at them. "Whatever, I so don't need this."

"Well then maybe you shouldn't have slept with her!" Kwest yelled, tightening his fists and getting ready to fight again.

"I didn't!"

"Alright, now I'm really lost," Kwest said, pulling away from Jude. Tommy stepped next to him and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, me too," he said. Jude stood there looking at both of them with a nervous gaze. She could swear they were going to scream at her. Kwest would run and tell Sadie, meaning she'd get all big sisterly and try to control Jude's life. She might even go as far as telling Darius, and he would step in, trying to be the father figure that Jude _didn't_ need. Tom, she didn't really care what he thought. It's not like she'd ever see him again.

"Alright, let's get one thing straight here, this is _my_ life. Tom, I'm sorry you got dragged into this mess, but that doesn't mean it's your right to find out who I am. Kwest, I love you like a brother, but now would be the time to step off. As far as the media knows Tom is my 'boyfriend,' and we're sleeping together. All we have to do is just never see each other again, and they'll forget about it. I'll release a hit new single for people to focus on, and if that still doesn't work then I'll do something else crazy for the media. Alright? So, stop digging."

After her speech Jude walked towards the large bay windows that led to Tommy's fire escape. "Have a nice life," she told Tommy. She went to climb out but stopped and turned around, "Oh, and I would leave through here for the next two weeks. I bet they'll still be some out there. See you, Kwest." She jumped onto the fire escape and made her way down. Tommy gnawed on the inside of his cheek. His life was disrupted for no good reason. Kwest patted his shoulder.

"Sorry about the fight earlier, Man. It's just Jude's like my little sister…"

"Enough said."

"Thanks."

"No problem. So, she's really the artist you've been talking about?"

"Have you ever _listened_ to her records?"

"…No."

"Well maybe you should before you pass judgment. She's amazing and a great person. She's not a diva in any way. Not that you'll ever see her again, just watch what you say. I need to go give her a ride though. I don't like her being in public looking like…well dressing…you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I know," Tommy said, laughing. Kwest pointed at him and gave him a look, basically warning him not to think about Jude that way. Tommy shrugged.

"You know, if you ever want to see her again stop by the studio," Kwest said with a smirk. Tommy laughed, loudly.

"Yeah, _right_."

"Suit yourself," Kwest shrugged. He turned toward the door but shook his head. He turned to the window and smiled. "Bye, Man," and with that he was off to catch up with Jude and give her a ride home. Tommy laughed as his best friend scurried down the stairs. He looked at the large brown bag that was on his couch and smiled. "Beer," he thought. He walked over to it and opened a bottle, happy for the comfort it brought. "Well, that was sure an interesting morning," he thought to himself with a laugh, "Oh well, at least she was hot, and it's over."


	4. Faux

"Faux"

"Faux"

Chapter Three

"…_She's amazing and a great person. She's not a diva in any way. Not that you'll ever see her again, just watch what you say. I need to go give her a ride though. I don't like her being in public looking like…well dressing…you know what I mean."_

"_Yeah, I know," Tommy said, laughing. Kwest pointed at him and gave him a look, basically warning him not to think about Jude that way. Tommy shrugged._

"_You know, if you ever want to see her again stop by the studio," Kwest said with a smirk. Tommy laughed, loudly._

"_Yeah, right."_

Weeks had gone by, and the pair had made it through life, surprisingly. Tommy had to leave through his fire escape every morning, just like Jude said. He tried to go through his front door once and was bombarded with flashes. He left from his fire escape ever since, walking to the garage and driving off, no one knowing who he was. His name had leaked into a few papers, a few pictures, but for the most part it wasn't bad. Not too much damage.

Jude, however, was a different story. The press simply wouldn't leave her alone. Darius had her doing interview after interview, public appearance after public appearance. She couldn't go shopping without being mobbed by clicking cameras and screaming fans. All everyone wanted to know was who her mystery man was. Her response was always the same, "It's nothing; I wish people would stop making such a big deal about it. I swear to you, there's nothing going on there." No one believed her, though.

Kwest and Jude had doubled up their studio time, working nonstop on trying to release a new single, give the public something else to concentrate on. Jude, though, was blocked. She didn't know why, but she suddenly couldn't form words. She tried, but it always came out sounding like come cheesy teeny-bopper trying to be a rock star. She had an entire notebook of songs, ready to be used also. Kwest set up the songs a million different ways, but none came out right. She needed something new, fresh, but she couldn't deliver. She was afraid that she was hitting rock bottom.

The press hated her. Her younger fans' mothers hated her. Her friends were drifting away. Everyone was losing respect for her. She couldn't stop it. This all hit her like one, giant wall of bricks one day, sitting in the studio. "Because it's you, boy," she sang, fading out. Kwest leaned into the intercom.

"C'mon, Superstar. You can do this, just finish the song."

"I can't, Kwest," Jude said, her voice shaky. She felt like a million and one bugs were crawling up her back and over her scalp as the stress engulfed her. She sucked in a shaky breath and put a hand to her forehead, trying to stop the stress from making its way onto her face. Kwest got up and walked into the studio, he reached for her.

"Jude, you alright?"

"No," she simply answered.

"When's the last time you ate? Or got some sleep?"

"Um…I don't know," she was crying now. The tears were just falling down her cheeks while she bit her tongue to hide the sobs.

"Jude, what's going on?"

"I just…I need…the song, please."

"What are you talking about? The song can wait, Harrison."

"No! No, it can't…"

"Jude, go get some sleep, some food, just stop singing."

"No!" Jude pushed Kwest's hand away from her and turned back to the microphone. She squeezed her eyes closed, pushing away the thought of stress. Kwest put his hand on her back, trying to comfort her. He was worried. Jude, though, didn't feel Kwest's hand, she felt Jeremy's. She felt dirty all over again as he pushed her down to the bed. The memories took over too many of her senses at once, and she turned around, smacking Kwest across the face.

Jude stood there in shock. She placed both hands over her mouth, doing nothing to stop the sobbing. Kwest just looked at her, eyes wide and jaw on the floor. "Jude? What. Is. Going. On?" Jude just stood there, shaking her head furiously. Kwest took a step closer, but Jude took a step back. "Jude, I'm not going to hurt you," he said softly.

Jude knew he wouldn't; she really did. She just couldn't help but be afraid. Pieces of the night she couldn't remember were slowly coming back into her head, piece by piece. Every time she would try to sing a song she was bombarded with pictures, images of that night. From what she could piece together so far she definitely wasn't in her right mind. She hadn't been drinking, so that means…drugs?

While Jude tried to piece things together Kwest had gotten closer to her, "What happened to you, Girl?" Jude refused to answer him and instead just shook her head. Kwest wrapped his arms around her shoulders, and she collapsed against his chest. She wasn't crying, just limp in his arms. "Jude?"

"I'm sorry," was all she said.

"No, there's nothing to be sorry for," Kwest said, softly. He gently lowered himself to the floor of the recording booth, in turn taking Jude with him. She comfortably rested in his lap while he stroked her hair. She was asleep within minutes. Kwest waited awhile, making sure she was really asleep, before lifting her bridal style and bringing her slowly to the couch. Sadie walked in, carrying a small, brown box.

"Hey, what's going on? What happened?" Sadie asked, worriedly, as she set the box down and walked over to Kwest's side. Kwest sighed and looked at his fiancée.

"I think thing's have just taken their toll on her lately," he told her, "She's been pretty shot."

"Yeah, I've noticed. Maybe I should talk to Darius about getting her a hiatus?" Sadie thought aloud.

"No, that should be Jude's choice. I just think she needs a day off, not a hiatus," Kwest disagreed.

"I don't know, Kwest, have you seen her lately? I haven't seen her eat in almost a week."

"Oh, she's eaten. Not as much as she should, but she's not anorexic. Her album's almost finished, plus she's got the press on her back. I really think it's just a fluke thing," Kwest tried to convince the worried blonde. Sadie finally accepted it and rubbed the back of Kwest's neck.

"Thanks, I put your mike on the table over there, and I guess I'll see you at home," she said. She gently pecked his lips before standing and brushing Jude's bangs out of her face. "Take care of her, Kwest," she whispered so low he almost didn't catch it.

"I will, Sadie, you know I will," he answered, taking Sadie's hand gently. He knew Sadie only wanted the best for her sister. He kissed the top of her hand before sending her on her way. He didn't want to worry Sadie with what had happened with Tom almost a month ago. She had read about the relationship in the papers, but neither Jude nor Kwest explained. Kwest played dumb, not wanting to get into it, and Jude just ignored her, telling Sadie it wasn't true and to let it alone. Neither one of them was going to tell her anymore than that.

Kwest slid the headphones on his head and rolled back over to the soundboard. He figured he would work on some instrumentals while Jude had her rest.

Four hours had gone by when Jude jolted and sat up on the couch. Kwest noticed the movement and turned around, stopping his work. Jude looked spooked and had her hand on her chest. Kwest smiled sympathetically at her. "Bad dream?" he asked.

"No, it's just…have you ever felt like you were suddenly falling so you jump to catch yourself, but then you realize you're not?" she said, laughing a little. Kwest smiled at the change.

"Yeah, I know the feeling," he laughed.

"So, how long was I out?" Jude asked, stretching.

"Well, I got the instrumental mixing done for the next three and a half songs," he said, motioning to the soundboard, "How long do you think you were out?"

"Awhile?" Jude winced, fluffing her hair. Kwest simply nodded before turning back, determined to finish the other half of the fourth song. Jude smiled and put her hands on Kwest's shoulders, "Well, if you need vocals or producing help for anything let me know. As for now I think I'm ready to head home." Kwest nodded, waving goodbye as she walked out of the studio.

Jude slid the door closed softly behind her. She walked through the lobby, waving at her sister before slipping her sunglasses over her eyes and pulling her keys from her pocket. She walked through the doors of G-Major and flashes went off in her eyes. Obviously they were here waiting for her, right?

Wrong.

Jude looked over and saw Tommy standing at the bottom of the steps with roses. The reporters were taking pictures of Tommy standing there and Jude's reaction. She was shocked, to say the least. "_What is he doing here_?" she screamed in her head. She couldn't show her frustration to the cameras so she gripped the keys in her hands so tightly she could swear she drew blood.

Tommy smiled at her and walked forward. "I was just coming in to see you, Baby Cakes," he said, kissing her cheek. Jude didn't move. Tom pushed the bouquet of flowers into her hands and laughed, facing the paparazzi. He had a big ass grin on his face as his hand wrapped around her waist, almost like they were posing at a photo shoot.

"What are you doing here?" Jude growled, keeping the smile on her face for the cameras.

"I need to talk to you," he whispered back, laughing like she had said something funny.

"About _what_?"

"We can't do it here."

"Where would you like to go?" Jude asked, pulling away and facing him.

"Is there anywhere in here we can talk privately?" he asked, motioning to G-Major. "_Honey_," he stressed.

"Sure, Shnookums," Jude quipped, dripping with sarcasm, "Let's go." Tommy smiled widely, winking at the cameras and taking Jude's hand. He laced their fingers together and let himself be dragged into the studio lobby, looking like a lovesick puppy dog.


	5. Compromise

"Compromise"

"Compromise"

Chapter Four

"_What are you doing here?" Jude growled, keeping the smile on her face for the cameras._

"_I need to talk to you," he whispered back, laughing like she had said something funny. "Is there anywhere in here we can talk privately?" he asked, motioning to G-Major. "__**Honey**__," he stressed._

"_Sure, Shnookums," Jude quipped, dripping with sarcasm, "Let's go." Tommy smiled widely, winking at the cameras and taking Jude's hand. He laced their fingers together and let himself be dragged into the studio lobby, looking like a lovesick puppy dog._

"Ow!" Tommy hissed as Jude dug her nails into Tommy's hand, pulling him through the lobby. She threw him down on the couch, giving him his hand back. He tenderly rubbed it and looked up at Jude like she was the devil, "What the hell?"

"What the hell? _What_ the hell!" Jude screamed. She stepped forward, leaning over him as he sunk down lower in the couch, "Tommy! We were doing so well! People were starting to forget…"

"Oh, they were not," Tommy interrupted.

"Yeah, they were!" Jude yelled. She bit her lip to keep from smacking him across the face. Why would he do this? Why would he come back now? They really were starting to forget. Sure, they were giving her hell, but the last four times people had stopped her they didn't mention her last "boyfriend catastrophe."

Tommy looked around and saw a whole bunch of people staring at them, people he didn't know. Kwest came out of a studio and saw Tommy; he laughed to himself and walked over to the pair, a smug smile on his face. "Hey Tom, took my advice?"

"What advice?" Jude asked, moving her anger to Kwest. She crossed her arms across her chest and pivoted, looking at her soon-to-be brother in law.

"Nothing; I told Tom that if he wanted to see you again he should come by the studio," Kwest defended himself, "It was mostly a joke."

"Well, apparently he took it seriously, or at least that's how it seems," Just quipped, turning back to Tommy who was innocently trying to disappear into the couch.

"_Alright, so maybe this wasn't such a good idea,_" Tommy thought to himself when he could almost feel the heat under Jude's gaze. Seriously, he wanted to take off his leather jacket. "Look, this isn't such a big deal…"

"Not a big deal?" Jude yelled. She put her hand on the arm of the couch next to Tommy, and her other hand went on the back of the couch. She leaned her head down, getting in real close to his face, looking into his eyes again. Tommy gulped when she spoke, her voice low and throaty. "Do you have _any_ idea what shit I've gone through because of this whole situation? Any idea, at _all_?" she asked.

"No idea," Tommy answered, honestly. Jude felt someone nudge her hip so she pulled away from Tommy, looking up at Kwest.

"Jude, there are eyes everywhere," Kwest whispered, looking around. Jude followed suit and noticed all of the interns, other artists, producers, and office hands staring at them. They _were_ in the middle of the lobby. Jude noticed two or three interns with their phones out, either taking pictures or making videos. She didn't know which, and she didn't really care.

She sighed and grabbed Tommy's hand again, this time a bit more gentle. She pulled him to his feet and debated wrapping her arms around in him a hug. On the one hand it would just further the setback. On the other hand he already screwed up their progress, and it would mean for less bad publicity. A happy couple isn't a selling story. She sighed and wrapped her arms under Tommy's leather jacket and around his waist. She buried her face into his chest. Tom was surprised at the sudden gesture and looked at Kwest with wide eyes, for help. Kwest laughed and just motioned to Jude. Tom was quick to snap out of his shock, and he wrapped his arms around her small body, holding her close. He heard her sigh into him, like her stress was being relieved. The couple heard a few people "awing" at them, and there were definitely pictures being taken. Tom told himself that he wanted it to look as real as possible so he placed his cheek on the top of her head, rocking her slowly back and forth in his arms. Jude closed her eyes, enjoying being close to someone who wasn't going to kick you out of their bed in a few hours. She bit her lip and pulled away, remembering that they had a job to do; a show to put on.

Tommy let Jude take his hand again, pulling him towards the alleyway. This time he simply followed, putting on no act. Jude pushed the heavy door open, making sure to close it behind Tommy. She didn't want people sneaking pictures or listening on the other side. She also knew Kwest would help serve as _some_ kind of buffer, holding the media away. "So, why'd you come? I thought you didn't want anything to do with me?" Jude asked softly, pushing her blonde hair behind her ear, stopping the wind from blowing it out of place.

"Well, I was kind of wondering…It might be stupid…I don't want you to get mad…" he stuttered for bit. Jude laughed, watching him kick the pavement. She had never seen him for the "nervous" type. "_It's kind of cute,_" she thought to herself, trying not to show him her smile.

"_This is harder than I thought,_" Tommy mused, internally. "_Why's it so hard? She doesn't mean anything to you; just tell it like it is. You want to use her just like she used you. It's that simple_," he told himself. "_But she seemed to vulnerable in the lobby. She's supposed to be strong, selfish, and obnoxious. This is all new to me, this emotion…What are you talking about, Quincy? Just tell her,_" he justified in the contours of his own mind. "I want a contract," he spit out.

"What?" Jude asked, all possibilities of a smile vanished from her face. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked down.

"A record contract. I don't want to sing or anything, I just want to produce. I've always wanted to be a producer, and I figured now was as good a time as any to pursue that dream," Tommy explained.

"I don't make contracts here, Tommy. You'd have to go to my boss. I'll put in a good word for you, if that's what you want. It won't really affect Darius' opinion much, though."

"No, you're not getting it," Tommy told her, stepping forward. Jude just continued to look down, ignoring his approaches. "Jude, if we pretend to date it'll give me an excuse to hang around here, showing off producing skills. Plus if you're madly in love with me you could demand that I get a job. This could be a giant foot in the door, Jude, for me."

"So you want to use me for my fame? Pretend to date?" Jude asked, disgusted.

"Yeah, kind of like you used me to _protect _that precious fame of yours," Tommy pointed out, pouting a bit. It wasn't a cute pout either, "_Although he would look good no matter what expression he made_," Jude thought. It was a sour expression that he wore, almost bitter and sarcastic.

"Whatever. I won't do it," Jude told him, leaning back on the wall of G-Major. "You can't just put my life on hold so I can pretend to be in a relationship. Do you know what kinds of limitations that puts on me? And I don't even get the perks of actually having feelings for someone and having them returned," Jude shook her head, "I won't do it."

"Limitations? Like waking up in some stranger's bed and barging into another man's life?" Tommy snarled, getting closer to Jude's face. Her expression was pure shock as she stared back at him, glaring.

"You have _no_ idea what you're talking about. How did you even know?"

"Like it wasn't obvious? Jeremy likes to brag," Tommy was short with his words, moving away from her. Even Tommy felt sleazy speaking of his neighbor.

"He…talks about it?" Jude asked quietly, wrapping her arms around herself once more. "What if he…tells people? Or…gave me something?"

"I wouldn't worry about that. Jeremy has a strange fetish with virgins. I doubt you have any kind of disease," Tommy answered, flicking his wrist at her. He turned away but kept his gaze on her out of the corner of his eye. He saw her look around before placing her hand over her mouth and covering her nose. She looked like she was either trying to hold in gags or sobs. "_Probably both,_" Tommy thought, "_There are those emotions again. I can't do this to someone who is so vulnerable._"

"So, what's he been saying? Am I any good? Is that what you really want? To get to see for yourself what Jeremy's already had? Kind of pathetic," Jude said. Tommy could tell her heart wasn't in the insults, but they still pissed him off.

"_Here's that bitchy, diva girl I was looking for,_" Tommy thought. This makes it a lot easier, especially the blackmailing part. "If you don't go along with it I'll tell everyone what happened, how we really met."

"You wouldn't," Jude's head shot up at the words. Her jaw opened slowly, staring at him in shock. His body language and facial expressions ensured that he would, indeed, do it. Jude shook her head, "No…no, that's not fair."

"Life's not fair," was his simple reply.

"You're a horrible person," Jude said, sliding down onto the ground, hugging her knees to her chest. She looked up at the tall man with hate in her eyes.

"I can live with it," Tommy shrugged, trying hard to brush off her heavy words. "At the end of the 'relationship' we'll have a huge, public break up and never have to see each other again…unless the plan goes accordingly, and I get a job here. The break up will bring lots of publicity to you, so I don't see why you're complaining."

"You get three months," Jude whispered, after long moments of silence. She was resting her chin on her knees and looking straight ahead, barely moving for almost five minutes.

"And to think I would have taken two," Tommy smirked. He kissed the top of his "girlfriend's" head and opened the door to the studio. He saw that some of the press had made their way inside the building and were now looking at him. He smiled at Jude, "See you later for dinner, Babe." Jude just sat there, not moving as Tommy waited for her. Eventually he looked down and closed the door behind him as he stepped into the studio, leaving her on the ground to her thoughts.


	6. Choices

"Choices"

"Choices"

Chapter Five

"_At the end of the 'relationship' we'll have a huge, public break up and never have to see each other again…unless the plan goes accordingly and I get a job here. The break up will bring lots of publicity to you, so I don't see why you're complaining."_

"_You get three months," Jude whispered, after long moments of silence. She was resting her chin on her knees and looking straight ahead, barely moving for almost five minutes._

"_And to think I would have taken two," Tommy smirked. He kissed the top of his "girlfriend's" head…_

It has been a little over two months since Jude and Tommy decided to put on a façade for the press. Things have been going well between them, too. They went out for dinner about three or four times a week, to keep up appearances. Tommy had been to all of her performances and attended all of the benefits where she was present. The final touch was simply what happened at night. Tommy came up with the idea of staying at each other's apartments overnight. The press would eat it up and they never had to actually do anything; although he wouldn't argue if she wanted to. When he voiced this condition it earned him a smack from Jude.

Jude agreed to the overnight stays and surprisingly they had gotten along quite well. They were quickly becoming very close friends. This worked in their favor because when they went out their happiness and conversation seemed casual, natural. No one questioned the relationship. Many nights at Jude's apartment she would end up talking with Tom all night, just sitting on the couch with credits rolling from a movie they never watched. The same went for Tom's apartment, except there was usually beer involved. Neither of the two knew how they did it, but they always seemed to have something to talk about. There was never a dull moment or an awkward silence between them over the weeks.

Tommy's idea was going well, too, for his career. Hanging around G-Major all of the time gave him various windows of opportunity. Jude introduced him to Darius at the first benefit, explaining how they instantly bonded over music through a mutual friend. Kwest was happy to play that role. Darius agreed to give him a trial run as an engineer, saying he had "a good feeling" about the kid. Kwest laughed and agreed to take Tom on, helping to produce Vin Speiderman and Jude Harrison herself. Within three weeks and nothing but praise from his co-workers, Tommy has been promoted to co-producer. He knew how to work the board but Darius wasn't generous enough to give him a big break so fast. He still needed to earn it, in his opinion, but hey, Tommy took what he could graciously.

Jude smiled into the microphone as she thought about everything Tom's managed to accomplish in such a short amount of time. She wasn't mad about the "blackmail" anymore, either. They had talked about it, and he apologized about how he handled it. The truth is Jude saw where he was coming from. Apparently _she_ was the opportunity knocking on Tom's door that one morning. She bit her lip to suppress the memories of that weekend from invading her mind. That was another reason for her frequent all-nighters with Tom; she was afraid to sleep. Her nightmares were becoming more and more frequent and more and more disturbing. What used to seem like flashbacks were now twisted ideas, or delusions, like her running throw an open space of all white with no where to go, no one to help. Then Jeremy would arrive and hold her arms so lightly, but she still couldn't seem to get away. She would always force herself awake before anything too horrible happened, but she knew what was coming when he lowered her onto the hard, white, ground.

"Jude, you alright?" The sound of his scruffy voice penetrated her ears through the large headphones she wore. She looked up quickly, her eyes a bit wider that usual. She nodded and adjusted the microphone, though it was already in the perfect spot. "Are you sure?" he asked, pushing further.

"Yeah, Tom," she laughed, softening her gaze, "I just spaced for a second. I'll be fine."

"Alright," Tommy said, this time believing her. He took his finger off of the intercom button and rolled back in his chair. He locked his fingers behind his head and looked at the beautiful blonde through the glass. If he had learned anything over these past few weeks, it was how to read Jude Harrison. The girl was a firecracker; that was certain. It was the little things, though, that he was beginning to get a grasp on. Like she always spaced out, going off into her own little world. Sometimes it was when inspiration struck and she was running through a song in her head. This was a good thing. She would click her tongue behind her teeth and not even realize it. Her middle finger would flick against the pad of her thumb repeatedly, like she was flicking something off of her, and her eyes stared straight ahead. Other times, though, she would go to this other place. She wasn't thinking of a song, or going through a grocery list in her head of things to do; this was different. This scared Tommy. She would bite her lip hard, and her eyes always wandered toward the floor. Her hands either folded across her chest or hung lifelessly at her sides. That was when she was thinking of something else. Also, when she lied, her ears wiggle. Not a lot, or something very noticeable, but Tommy noticed it once time. It was actually a funny discovery…

"Jude!" Tommy yelled, storming out of her kitchen after slamming the pop tart box in the garbage can. Jude, who was sitting on the couch with her guitar, perked up upon hearing her name.

"What? And why do you sound so angry?" she asked, turning. She saw a shirtless Tommy standing behind her couch with his green plaid pajama pants riding low on his hips. Jude had to force herself to look at his eyes and not his V-bone.

"How many times do I have to tell you? The strawberry pop tarts are _yours_. The chocolate are _mine_. So why is _my_ box empty?" He asked, flailing his arms around.

"_That's_ what you're mad about? Dude, I thought it was _your_ cat I almost ran over today! Chill." She told him, laughing, and turning back to her guitar.

"Says the girl who threw a fit when I took _a sip_ of her Diet Pepsi two days ago?" Tommy smirked, walking to the other side of the couch and sitting down.

"It was _not_ a sip! You drank a whole two liter bottle and only left me your nasty Mountain Dew Code Green or whatever," Jude pouted, writing down lyrics and not even lifting her head to look at him. "Besides," she started again, "I didn't even eat your stupid pop tarts."

"It's Code Red, for your information," Tommy said, "And you did too! Who else would have eaten them?"

"I dunno," Jude said dumbly. She didn't look up at him, completely engulfed in the music. She mindlessly leaned up to brush her hair out of her face and behind her ear.

"So you didn't eat them?" Tommy asked again, in disbelief.

"No," Jude simply replied. Her left ear, the one she had just exposed, moved up and down a bit. Tommy opened his mouth to question it but then shut it.

"Do you have a secret candy stash hidden in your bedroom?" Tommy questioned, testing out his theory.

"Tom, how many times do I have to tell you it was _one_ Twizzler package? Let it go," she scoffed. Her ear wiggled again. Tom knew, for a fact, that she had an entire candy stash in her room. He had found it doing laundry one time. He smirked, discovering her lie beacon.

"That was good Jude, you're done for the day," Tom said once Jude's voice faded out of the speakers in the studio.

"Well, kiddies, I'm off to see my fiancée. See you tomorrow," Kwest rolled the chair away and stood, stretching. Tommy waved him off, writing a notation on duct tape and putting it on the track. Jude waved to him too as she came out of the booth and sat in Kwest's chair. She lazily threw her legs up onto Tom's lap and leaned her head back.

"Ready to go home?" Tommy asked, holding her shoe. "Your place, or mine?"

"Mine, I miss my bed," Jude whined, tiredly. Tommy nodded and stood, helping Jude onto her own feet. He slipped his arm around her shoulders and Jude leaned into his side. Tom grabbed the keys to the car, having driven them together to work that morning. They walked out of the studio and into the parking lot, heading towards Tom's Viper. They noticed a reporter or two hanging out in the area. The news had died down but there were still people watching for any slip-ups. Tom turned to Jude and placed a sound kiss on her tired lips. Jude simply responded before Tom disconnected and pecked her forehead. The lone reporter took the picture and was on his way. Jude laughed lightly to herself and got into the car, Tommy following soon after.

They arrived at Jude's apartment within minutes and walked to the elevator, silently. As they made it inside Jude put up the water for tea, not in a coffee mood. Tommy agreed to a cup as he made himself comfortable on the couch, holding Jude's guitar. Jude joined him in the living room minutes later with two hot cups in her hands. She set them on the coffee table and told him which one was his. He liked a lot of milk and sugar while Jude drank hers with honey and that was it. Then she grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, putting on the celebrity news. She turned the volume low and turned to Tom.

"You know, I never heard you sing," Jude commented, staring at him holding the guitar in his hand.

"You never asked," Tommy shrugged. He smirked and winked at her, "Maybe you should try showering with me, then."

"Perv," Jude laughed, slapping his shoulder playfully.

"But seriously," Tommy said through the light laughter, "I've been working on something, actually. I was hoping to get your opinion on it?"

"Yeah, of course," Jude said, surprised. She nodded enthusiastically, "Do you want to play it right now?"

"Sure, why not?" Tommy shrugged. He arranged his fingers properly on the guitar and began to strum.

"_Patience_

_Took you for everything_

_Looked like a diamond ring_

_You are so much longer_

_That made sense_

_Apathy in disguise_

_Crept on you like a spy_

_Hurt you in ways_

_You can't describe_"

Jude quickly searched her internal dictionary for apathy. "_Isn't that extreme disinterest, or something?_" she thought, "_Like, not caring?_" She instantly felt that the song was about her. She leaned her head to the side allowing him to continue. His voice soothed her. It was interesting. The muscles in his neck were tight, and bulging a bit. His voice was strained but in a talented way. His voice was slightly scruffy, almost throaty. He sang with great passion but still softly.

"_Back to the start now_

_I wont let you go this way now_

_Honesty_

_Is what you need_

_It sets you free_

_Like someone to save you_

_Let it go_

_But hurry now_

_There's undertow_

_And I don't want to lose you now_"

He sang like he cared for her, and Jude appreciated that immensely. She smiled softly when he smiled at her, only opening his eyes to do so, and then they were closed again, getting lost in the music. One thing, though, stuck in Jude's head. "_Honesty? That's what __**I**__ need? Yeah, alright, Quincy. Like you're some saint,_" she thought sarcastically. "_Well, maybe he means he wants to stop the pretending? But what's left when you take off the act? Are there actual feelings there?_" This was the first time Jude allowed herself to think of Tom in that way, and she had to admit she liked the idea.

"_All right_

_Sit down and spill your heart_

_Lets start from the very start_

_Cause I can see by your eyes_

_You're wasted_

_Your energy comes and goes_

_You taking your time, I know_

_Nothing can change what happened, so…_

_Back to the start now_

_I won't let you go this way, now_

_Honesty_

_Is what you need_

_It sets you free_

_Like someone to save you_

_Let it go_

_But hurry now_

_There's undertow_

_And I don't want to lose you_

_Don't want to lose you now_

_Now_

_Oh my _

_Look at your bright stars fadin' so_

_How much can you take?_

_Honesty_

_Is what you need_

_It sets you free_

_Like someone to save you_

_Let it go_

_But hurry now_

_There's undertow_

_And I don't want to lose you now_

_(Na na, na na na na na na…)_

_I said to save you_

_Save you_

_Save you_

_Someone to save you_

_What you need is_

_Someone to save you_"

"So, what do you think?" Tommy asked when he finished. He had watched Jude's thoughtful expression throughout the song and wanted to know what she was thinking.

(Tommy's Song: Someone to Save you by One Republic)


	7. Interference

"Interference"

"Interference"

Chapter Six

"_You know, I never heard you sing," Jude commented, staring at him holding the guitar in his hand._

"_But seriously," Tommy said through the light laughter, "I've been working on something, actually. I was hoping to get your opinion on it?"_

_She instantly felt that the song was about her. She leaned her head to the side allowing him to continue. His voice soothed her. It was interesting. He sang with great passion but still softly._

_"So, what do you think?" Tommy asked when he finished. He had watched Jude's thoughtful expression throughout the song and wanted to know what she was thinking._

"Wow, Tom, that was really amazing. I didn't know you were a songwriter too. I thought producing was your dream?" Jude said, scooting closer to Tommy on the couch. She gently touched his hand as he moved the guitar off of his lap.

"Music in general has always been a part of my life," he told her with sincerity. He looked her straight in the eyes, "I have no interest in being in the spotlight, but I still have the talent. I write, play, sing, but it's for me and no one else." Jude blinked up at him, putting her hand gingerly on his thigh. "Or at least me and whoever I choose to share it with," he told her in a whisper.

"So um, what inspired that song?" Jude asked, also leaning forward.

"Oh, you think it's about you, do you?" Tom asked, smirking.

"Ha! I know it is," Jude scoffed, pulling away from him. Tommy continued to smirk, also pulling back to his side of the couch.

"How could you be so sure?"

"Not only does it describe me perfectly, but there are no others girls in your life right now," she told him matter-of-factly. An after thought occurred to her, causing her to lightly laugh to herself, "Unless a man inspired it."

"Oh, hell no!" Tommy called, "It's a girl alright. Well, how do you know it isn't about a girl from the past? I _do_ have memories you know."

"I guess it could be," Jude said, sighing. He got her; she didn't have an excuse for that one. "So, who is it? You never told me about a girl who impacted your life so much."

"You never asked," Tommy said, leaning forward to take a sip of his tea.

"Well, I'm asking now."

"Well, I'm not offering up stories at the moment. I thought you were tired?"

"Oh no, you're not directing my attention away from this one. Who is she?"

"Was," Tommy corrected, looking down. He swallowed another mouthful of tea and tapped his ring against the glass of the mug. When he looked up again it was obvious Jude didn't understand. He sighed, realizing he would actually have to elaborate on this one. "I did have one girl that impacted my life, more than any other woman," he said honestly, "Her name was Angie and she was everything a guy could want. She was a singer. She always wanted to make it big, since we were kids. She got a gig backing up a boy band or something. We said our goodbyes and promised to keep the relationship going strong while she went on tour with them. She died in a car accident."

"Oh, my god, Tommy. I am so sorry," Jude said softly, rubbing his arm.

"Want to know the funny part, too?" Tommy asked, looking at her with sad eyes, "The car accident was on her way here. She was able to get a small vacation to come home and see me. She drove to the airport, endured the plane ride, and on her way here just…died."

"Tommy…"

"She wanted to take a break. She said we should make the relationship open because she didn't want to hold me back while she was away. I convinced her that I wanted her and only her. I made her my fiancée that night. I knew she only wanted me too. If I hadn't pushed her to be in such a serious relationship she wouldn't have come to visit. She wouldn't have driven to my apartment to see me. She wouldn't have gotten hit by that truck."

"Tommy, stop, this isn't your fault," Jude said.

"What do you know, Jude? You didn't know her."

"You're right," she told him, honestly, "I didn't know her, but I know you." Tommy looked up at her, sadly. He was willing himself not to cry and so far it was working. She sat up slowly and moved her legs over his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into her shoulder. His strong arms wrapped around her waist and held her back closely. He buried his face in her neck like she had intended, but he still didn't cry. After a few minutes he pulled away from her embrace and wiped his dry eyes.

"It's whatever," he said, brushing off the moment. Jude nodded, letting him keep it contained for now. He smirked and ruffled her hair. "The song isn't about Angie though. It's about the only girl in my life right now," he told her, touching their foreheads. Jude smiled widely. Tom laughed and pulled away from her face. "Berta," he told her shortly, "My 78 year old neighbor. You know, I think she has a thing for me. Should I go for it?" He asked her, winking.

"I don't know Tom; you don't think she might be a bit out of your _league_?" Jude laughed and shoved his shoulder.

"Nah, I think I can handle it," Tom said, smirking. Jude laughed and adjusted herself so she was off of his lap and just sitting next to him. She laid her head on his shoulder and rubbed his arm.

"Hey, she's new," Jude said motioning to the television. Celebrity news was still playing, having been moved to "mute" when Tom began singing; the subtitles were displayed on the screen as the thin, beautiful, brunette with wild curly hair spoke. She seemed discouraged over something as the interviewer spoke to her.

"Turn that up," Tommy demanded, his eyes not leaving the screen.

"What?"

"Turn it up!" Tommy almost yelled, scrambling for the remote so he wouldn't miss anything. Jude put her hands up as he dove across her lap and turned up the volume. Jude watched with interest, ignoring Tommy still lying across her lap.

"…It's just sort of upsetting. We've barely spoken to the man in years and now we see him in the papers. If this couple is really as serious as the media make them out to be, let's just say the family is a little offended. We've always been close and we've never even heard him talk about this girl, let alone meet her! All of his previous girlfriends were absolute dolls; I just hope this one is the same and not some gold digging, fame feeder," the woman quipped. Jeez, judging a book by its cover, much?

"Are they talking about us?" Jude asked, shocked.

"Yeah," Tom said, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

"Who is she?" Jude yelled, turning to him.

"My cousin"

"Your _cousin_?"

"Yeah, Sophia."

"What is she talking about me like that for?"

"Sophia has always been…" Tommy searched for the right word, "Protective." Jude continued to look at him, demanding that he explain further. "Angie was her best friend," he said, looking down, "After her, anyone else I even considered dating she would hate. As far as she, or any of my family, knows this is my first relationship."

"Tommy," Jude started thoughtfully, turning her body to face him, tucking her legs beneath her, "Exactly how long ago did this happen?"

"Exactly?" Tommy looked up at her with sad eyes. He swung his head back and forth, "Four years since the day you walked into my apartment for the first time."

"Oh Tommy, I'm so sorry…"

"Don't be," Tommy said, shaking off her hand, "You didn't know." Silence filled the room as Tommy thought to himself and Jude looked at the rug on the floor. "So um," Tommy cleared his throat, "What do you want to do about this?"

"What do you mean?" Jude asked.

"This interview will bring a lot of publicity. People will start to ask questions about how serious we are. It's been two months."

"What are you getting at?" Jude asked as she grabbed her mug again, taking a careless sip of her tea.

"Should we do the whole break up thing? If we go see my parents everyone will think we're really serious and we'll have to act like it," Tommy looked up at her with slightly sad eyes, "I don't want to be holding you back from your life." Jude stared at him with wide eyes. Her cheeks were big, filled with tea. She quickly swallowed when his words registered and looked at him.

"You're not holding me back from anything, Tom. Don't ever think that. You know what? Let's go see your family," Jude said defiantly.

"Really?" Tommy asked, surprised. His only response was Jude nodding. She stood and ruffled his hair.

"I'm going to bed," she announced, stretching. She leaned down and kissed Tom's forehead before pulling back slightly and looking into his eyes. She bit the inside of her cheek for a moment before leaning forward and kissing his lips. The kiss was simple, calm, and short-lived. She pulled away and smiled at Tommy before heading upstairs. Tommy smiled as he watched her leave.

They had never kissed unless someone was watching.


	8. Family

"Family"

"Family"

Chapter Seven

_"So um," Tommy cleared his throat, "What do you want to do about this?"_

_"Let's go see your family," Jude said defiantly._

_"Really?" Tommy asked, surprised. His only response was Jude nodding._

_"I'm going to bed," she announced, stretching. She bit the inside of her cheek for a moment before leaning forward and kissing his lips. The kiss was simple, calm, and short-lived._

_They had never kissed unless someone was watching._

"Alright, let's see," Jude thought out loud, "One, two, three, four."

"Four?" Tom asked with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah," Jude said, confused, "Why? How many do you have?"

"One," Tom said simply as he lifted his lone duffle bag. He smirked at her as she looked down at her four suitcases around her.

"How long are we going for again?" Jude asked.

"A week."

"And how do you fit all of that in one bag?" she asked. Tom just laughed and shook his head. He walked towards her and nuzzled her nose with his. Jude parted her lips slowly but Tom leaned down, quickly. He picked up two of her bags in one hand and headed towards the door. He told her to grab the other two. Jude rolled her eyes and grabbed the two remaining bags, following Tommy to the elevator. Upon finding Tommy by the car she dropped the bags by his feet and huffed, "In my defense they're small bags." Tommy just laughed and nodded, putting them in the car.

He kissed her cheek before closing the back of the car. Jude walked to the passenger side of the car and placed her hand on the handle. Tom's large hand was quick to cover hers and he pulled her towards the apartment building once again. "I want to play you something quick before we go," he told her. Jude smiled and followed him up to her apartment again. He grabbed the guitar and smiled at her like a boy on Christmas morning. "After playing you my last song I got inspired and decided to play whatever I come up with. This isn't done but I've just had this one verse in my head for so long. I was thinking it could be like our own little project, especially this week."

"_This town is colder now; I think it's done with us_

_It's time to make the move; I'm shaking off the rust_

_I've got my heart set on the outside world_

_I'm staring down myself, counting up the years_

_Steady hands, just take the wheel..._

_And every glance is killing me_

_Time to make one last appeal, for the life I lead_"

Jude smiled widely as Tommy stopped and patted the guitar, "Um, that's all I have so far. Just the first verse."

"Do you have it written down?" she asked. Tommy nodded and handed her his notebook. Jude took it and sat down, putting the pen in her mouth and clicking it against her cheek repeatedly. Tommy was nervous as she began scribbling and writing. She looked over at him before pulling the guitar from his hands and strumming it. She hummed and would write down words in her head. Tom tried to peek over her shoulder but she pushed him away. What really took two minutes seemed like two hours to Tommy. Finally Jude handed the paper back to him.

"_This town is colder now; I think it's __done with__ sick of us_

_It's time to make __the__ our move; I'm shaking off the rust_

_I've got my heart set on __the outside world__ anywhere but here_

_I'm staring down myself, counting up the years_

_Steady hands, just take the wheel..._

_And every glance is killing me_

_Time to make one last appeal, for the life I lead_"

"Sick of, instead of done with, sounds more practical and less finalized," she explained, leaning her chest against his arm as she looked over his shoulder at the words she had just adjusted, "And our move instead of the move sounds more personal, loving. Anywhere but here is more specific and realistic than the outside world, but I love it."

"Thanks, these few words make it so much better. It's really brought up to the next level," he said as he looked over at her. They were so close; one little movement would mean a simple touch of the lips…

The sudden noise of a guitar hitting the ground pulled them both apart. Jude smiled sheepishly and leaned down to pick it up. "Sorry," she whispered. Tommy shrugged it off and stood.

"We can go now," he said dismissively, heading towards the door.

"Right…" Jude whispered to his retreating back, knowing he couldn't hear her frustrated sigh.

Tommy and Jude arrived to New Brunswick within hours. The car ride was long but Jude had fallen asleep almost instantly and stayed that way throughout the ride. Tommy just listened to the soft music playing on the radio and drove. Now, though, they were sitting in front of Tom's old house. It was small, but very nice and homey. It was right on the beach. Tommy and Jude were sitting on the hood of Tom's car, just staring. "You know," Tommy opened the conversation, "Maybe this isn't such a good idea."

"What're you talking about?" Jude asked quietly, never taking her eyes off of the house.

"My family is…different. I was so wrapped up in how this would effect our image, I didn't think how this visit would effect us."

"Us, us?" Jude asked, turning to him, surprised.

"Us as people, friends," Tommy said like it was nothing. Jude's shoulders slouched considerable and nodded.

"Right," she whispered. Before Tom could convince her to become "suddenly ill" and send them back home, the front door opened. The girl from the interview ran out and hugged Tommy. He smiled and returned the gesture but he seemed less than enthused. Sophia brushed off his hesitation and turned to Jude. She stared at the blonde for a second before sticking out her bony hand, which Jude accepted in a handshake. She turned back to her cousin and took a deep breath, taking him all in.

"You look great, Tom."

"You too, Sophia. Thanks for getting me out here, I think it's time the family met her," he said, motioning to Jude.

"Yeah…well…" Sophia shrugged, "Some reporters came asking about your childhood. I didn't think you'd want us to share so much so we discussed your future instead. No need to thank me." With that, the bubbly cousin turned and headed back inside. "We've all been waiting for you to grow a pair and come inside already," she threw over her shoulder. Tommy's eyes widened as he followed Sophia inside.

"A-all?" he stuttered. Jude caught up with him on the small walkway to the door. She laved their fingers together and walked towards the screen door. Tommy dropped her hand out of nervousness and stepped in front of her, leaving Jude confused.

Tommy stepped through the threshold of his old family home to see five or so pairs of eyes staring back at him, his mother, Marianne, brother, Tristan, cousin, Sophia, cousin, Selena, and cousin, Josh. Josh stood off the couch first and walked over to Tom. He clasped a hand on Tom's shoulder and chuckled, "Jeez, Tom. How long were you and that hot piece going to stand out there? You did come to see _the family_ didn't you?" Tommy just rolled his eyes and knocked his cousin's hand off of his shoulder. Tristan stood and walked over to the pair.

"Yeah, Tom, and it's not even like you were _doing_ anything. Speaking of which, a minor? Seriously, Dude? What, girls your own age too loose for you now? You need a tight, young ass full of energy to keep you going all night long?" he teased. Jude took that moment to walk into the house, the light, rusty, screen door creaking shut behind her. The family looked at her. Duh, she had heard everything he had said, but she pretended that she hadn't.

Tommy turned and looked at her apologetically. Then he turned to Tristan with the simple response of, "Fuck you." He grabbed Jude's hand and pulled her towards the bedrooms. Jude let herself be dragged. Tommy slammed the door shut when they were both safely inside. He ran his hand through his hair and looked at Jude. "I am so sorry. You know what he said isn't true, right? Babe?" he asked. Jude just nodded and hugged him; he was really worked up over this.

"Of course, Tom. Your brother's an ass but that has nothing to do with you."

"Oh, thank god," Tommy sighed, relieved. His cousin Selena walked into the room after knocking softly.

"Your mom said you two can stay in here together. I'd suggest never coming out," she said with a laugh before leaving the room again. Tommy looked at Jude, surprised. He smirked and leaned forward.

"Well…a room all to ourselves. How _interesting_."

Jude laughed and pushed the side of his head. She scoffed, "One, we're at your _mom's_ house. Two, just no." She laughed as she stood and grabbed her pocketbook.

"Where are you going?" Tom asked, relaxing against the mattress. Jude laughed.

"_You're_ taking me to dinner," she stated, simply. Tommy chuckled and reached into his pocket. He tossed a five her way and threw a pillow over his head, covering his eyes.

"There's a McDonalds down the road; knock yourself out."

Jude rolled her eyes and sat down next to him on the bed. She patted his stomach, "Fine, but you're passing up a great opportunity. Imagine all of the girls that are following our story. When they see you're sweet enough to take me to a nice, expensive, restaurant you'll have girls falling at your feet when this is all over." Tommy flinched beneath her caressing hand, which was still on his stomach under his shirt. He remembered the pillow from his eyes and looked at her.

"When this is all over?" he asked, softly. Jude bit her lip, looking at the hurt in his eyes. She gave a small smile before getting up completely. She pretended to look at something on her phone, speaking absentmindedly.

"So, I saw this Italian restaurant coming in. It looked good. You know the one?" she asked. Tommy sighed and rubbed his eyes in frustration but nodded none-the-less.

"Yeah, I know it. I'll take you tomorrow, alright? Can we just sleep for now?" he flipped over in his bed, snuggling closer into the pillows and comforter. Jude nodded, almost feeling sorry for him, and walked towards the bed. She grabbed her nightie out of her bag and changed right in the room, knowing that Tom wasn't looking. She climbed into the bed, facing him. She gently grabbed his hand and stroked her thumb over his knuckles, bringing him comfort in this house of stress.


	9. Finished

"Finished"

Chapter Eight

_"So, I saw this Italian restaurant coming in. It looked good. You know the one?" she asked. Tommy sighed and rubbed his eyes in frustration but nodded none-the-less._

_"Yeah, I know it. I'll take you tomorrow, alright? Can we just sleep for now?" he flipped over in his bed, snuggling closer into the pillows and comforter. Jude nodded, almost feeling sorry for him, and walked towards the bed. She grabbed her nightie out of her bag and changed right in the room, knowing that Tom wasn't looking. She climbed into the bed, facing him. She gently grabbed his hand and stroked her thumb over his knuckles, bringing him comfort in this house of stress._

"Tommy," Jude whispered harshly, shaking his shoulder. Tommy groaned and looked up, seeing Jude's baby blues wide with terror. A crackling sound outside made him realize that there was a thunderstorm outside; it must have scared her. Tommy scrambled to sit up when the room lit up with a lightening bolt, and Jude whimpered. She jumped into his lap when he was upright, and he held her. She buried her face in his neck and took deep breaths. Tommy just watched out the window; the thunder quieted, and the lightening faded. The rain was still going strong but the sound was somewhat calming. Jude pulled away and leaned her forehead against his, "Thanks Tommy."

"No problem, Babes," he said. Suddenly Jude leaned forward and kissed him. The kiss was soft, caring, but full of need. His tongue slipped into her mouth, past her soft lips. He teasingly nipped at her bottom lip, and Jude craved more of him. She raked her fingers through his hair, pulling at the roots. She moved her legs so that she was straddling him, and her knees were next to his hips. She kept her right hand at the back of his neck, and her left hand traveled down his chest.

Tommy's nervousness grew as her hand slipped under his boxer shorts, but so did his pleasure. She gently stroked his shaft as she pulled away from the kiss, breathing heavily. Tommy pressed his forehead to hers as his breath became choppy, and his fingers slipped under her nightie and in through her slit. She bit her lip, quickened her hand movements, and leaned over to kiss behind Tom's ear.

"Tommy, oh, oh Tommy," she purred behind his lobe. He throbbed in her hand and wanted nothing more than to be inside her. The thunder began roaring outside again, but now, so was he. She was biting down his neck now, and it was driving him mad. He removed her hands from his shorts and took hold of his own hood, pushing up harshly and entering her. She yelled out in pleasure and scratched at his shoulders, at which point he came.

"_What?!_" he yelled to himself, silently. "_This never happens! What was that?_" Jude looked down at his soft cock and started laughing. She rolled off of him and onto her side of the bed. She was clutching her side from the lack of oxygen.

Quickly, Tommy's eyes opened and he looked at his surroundings. "_What happened?_" he asked himself. Without rising from the bed he looked around. He felt unusually warm for just a blanket to be thrown over him. Looking at his body he noticed creamy thighs and arms strewn across him. He was lying on his back with Jude's leg thrown over his waist, his left hand clutching behind her knee to keep her there. Her other leg was pressed up flat against his right leg, with her arms and head snuggled into his chest. He went to rub his eyes but his right hand caught on something. He gently removed his hands from, what he realized was, her pants. His hand gripped tightly at her ass, under her shorts, and Tommy quickly removed it. He sat up and gently moved the blonde to the other side of the bed. "_It was just a dream_," he thought. He looked down at his wet spot and sighed, "_A good fucking dream, though_."

He felt embarrassed all over again. At least this time it wasn't his fault, but she would still notice when she woke up, and her leg was sticky. He gingerly picked up her leg and rolled her over, facing the other side. His movements were so soft that Jude didn't wake up. "_Actually,_" Tommy thought, "_Maybe it's better if I wake her up_." He stood and un-tucked his side of the sheets on the bed. Then, he walked over to Jude and shook her, waking her up. She softly opened her eyes, for once, and didn't put up a fight. She yawned and stretched, making Tom's 'friend' twitch again but he willed it down. She smiled at Tommy, "What's going on, Babe?"

"Time to get up if you want to beat traffic. Today's our day to go home."

"Already?"

"Yeah, it's a day early, but there's no reason to stick around," he told her. They had spent six days in New Brunswick, having dinner with the family every night, but other than that the couple didn't spend any time with them. Tom had taken to the nice Italian restaurant, as promised; he also took her to the county carnival, on a boat trip, to the beach, and on various walks around the town.

Jude nodded and stood, stretching some more. Tommy respectfully looked down and motioned to the bathroom. Jude nodded and headed in to start her shower. Tommy smiled to himself and quickly wrapped up the sheets and threw them in the hamper. He was quite proud of himself. He walked over to his own suitcase and got everything set to go home while he waited for Jude to finish in the bathroom.

"One, two, three, four, five," Jude counted, smiling as she stood by the front door.

"I knew taking you shopping was a bad idea. You're leaving with one extra bag!" He laughed, shaking his head. Jude shrugged and grabbed two of them, pushing herself through the screen door.

"Tom," Marianne, his mother, said as she walked out of the kitchen. She literally hadn't said anything to Tom or Jude the entire time they were staying there. She would acknowledge them with a small smile or nod but she never spoke. She gripped her coffee mug tightly, looking down at the liquid rather than at her son.

"Yeah?" Tommy asked, stepping from the doorway to the dining room where she was.

"She's a nice girl, don't screw it up."

"I won't, Ma," he said, angry. He grabbed most of the remaining bags and went out the door as Jude was walking back in. Jude looked confusedly at his retreating back before turning to Marianne. She had respectfully bit her tongue this entire trip, not knowing Tom's past with his mother and knowing it wasn't her place, but she couldn't take it any longer.

"Marianne, I don't know what's going on with you and your son but this is ridiculous. You haven't said anything to him or me in six days. You haven't asked about our days, our plans, how he's been, how we feel about each other, how serious we are. You don't care, that much is obvious, but you're making Tommy feel like complete shit. Excuse my bluntness, but I just don't think we should leave without you hearing it from someone."

"Take care of him, Jude. He needs someone like you. Promise me. Please, give me this," was Marianne's only retaliation. Her words were soft, and like speaking to her son, she never met the angry blonde's eyes.

"I promise. I promise to be good to him. I promise to take care of him better than anyone ever has before, better than you. I wouldn't abandon him like you did, maybe not physically but emotionally. Your son deserves better than that," Jude spit out. She grabbed the remaining bag before heading out the door, hopefully for the final time.

Tom was already waiting in the car. Jude threw the bag in the trunk before climbing into the passenger seat and sighing. Tom apologized, but she hushed him, and the ride home was silent.

"So, do you want to go right home or head to the studio?' Tommy asked when they were within twenty minutes of Toronto. Jude shrugged, not caring much. What she really wanted was to ask about Tom's relationship with his mother, but he continued before she could ask. "Well," he said, "Then I'm going to head to the studio. Kwest took on SME while we were gone so I want to see how he's doing."

"Sure, sounds good. I'm in no rush to be home."

"Alright," he said as he switched lanes to get off at the right exit. Jude smiled and lounged back until they were in the parking lot.

"Hey, Man," Tommy greeted Kwest in the studio. Kwest smiled, happy to have his friends back.

"What's up, Man? Jude?" he responded. The couple just nodded, and Jude walked into the sound booth to greet SME.

"So, how was home?" Kwest asked Tommy, leaning back on the soundboard. Tommy just shook his head, not wanting to answer. Kwest nodded and continued, "Well, something to pick up your spirits," he started, looking around for listeners, "There's a rumor going around G-Major."

"Is there?" Tommy asked, now intrigued.

"Yeah," Kwest said with a sly smile, "Darius is talking about taking you on as a permanent producer."

"That's amazing!" Jude yelled, running into the control room from the sound booth. She jumped into Tommy's unsuspecting arms, wrapping her arms around his neck. "If you want to have a private conversation," she said turning to Kwest, "you shouldn't sit on the intercom button." Kwest laughed and stood from the buttons on the board. Tom smiled and wrapped his arms around Jude's waist, holding her close.

"I know you've wanted this for awhile, Man," Kwest congratulated, shaking Tom's hand. "Now you have it, finally."

"Finally," Jude agreed with a smile. Tommy's smile matched his friends, but something stuck with him. "_Finally,_" he thought, "_I've wanted this for awhile, yeah._" He looked down at a smiling Jude, and his expression fell. Jude looked up, knowing what he was thinking, and her expression matched his, solemn.

"Can I talk to you outside?" Tommy asked, softly. Jude nodded and joined their hands, following him out into the ally.

"So…this is what you wanted. You wanted to be a producer and now you are one," Jude spoke first, kicking the gravel underneath their feet.

"Yeah, that's why I figured we should talk."

"Well, I guess this is our final deadline?"

"Wait, so…it's over?"

"Isn't that what you want?" Jude asked, rushing out the words as she rubbed her chest. Tommy shook his head, frustrated, before leaning forward and bringing his lips to hers.


	10. Embarrassment

"Embarrassment"

Chapter Nine

_"So…this is what you wanted. You wanted to be a producer and now you are one," Jude spoke first, kicking the gravel underneath their feet._

_"Yeah, that's why I figured we should talk."_

_"Well, I guess this is our final deadline?"_

_"Wait, so…it's over?"_

_"Isn't that what you want?" Jude asked, rushing out the words as she rubbed her chest. Tommy shook his head, frustrated, before leaning forward and bringing his lips to hers._

His hands gripped her hips as he quickly pushed her backwards, against the wall. The way his lips moved against hers were magical; the way his tongue desperately shot into her mouth, searching for hers, caused the heat to grow in her stomach. Her hands didn't hesitate to grab the back of his neck, fist in his hair, and pull him closer.

The emotion between them turned her on just as much as his hands did. They couldn't get enough of each other; that much was obvious. He was able to tear away from her lips to kiss down her neck, but her labored breathing, the heavy rise and fall of her chest, teased him to the point of no return, and his lips were on hers again.

Holding Jude against the wall seemed very tempting, but her whimpers caused him to pull her away slightly, just so she could remove her jacket. She ripped off the leather before leaning back again, framing Tommy's face with her hands. The brick against her back was a cool release as she pressed against it, ignoring the scraping pain and concentrating on his lips. Tommy wedged his hands between her shoulder blades and the brick wall, but she arched her back away from his hands and closer to his own arched body. He moved his hands down the curve of her spine and over her ass, where he gently squeezed. Jude moaned, quietly, pulling away from the kiss.

She pulled her hands out of his hair and moved down his button-up shirt, gripping the material and pulling him down, so she could kiss his neck. Tommy hesitantly moved his hands from Jude's back end to her hips, inching closer to the hem of her jean skirt. The passion, the need he felt for her, was overwhelming to the two of them as he kissed down her body. His hesitation was thrown out the window as he felt her small hands pulling at his belt buckle. Taking that as the sign to move forward, he gripped the edge of her jean skirt and pulled it up. Jude was able to get his belt and zipper open. She shoved the jean material down his thighs and pulled their hips together.

Tommy groaned against her neck as he pulled her thong down to her knees. Jude kicked the material away and pulled Tommy into another kiss. His hands massaged down her thighs and hitched under the back of her knees. She jumped and wrapped her legs around his hips, his hard-on pressed against her stomach. "Are you…?" he breathed out.

"Pill? Yes," she mumbled, kissing along his jaw.

"I was going to say okay with this, but that works too," he laughed, kissing her again.

Jude reached between them and took hold of his base as he held her hips, leaning back. He pushed forward, and Jude guided him deep inside of her. She gasped against his cheek, biting on his earlobe. Tommy groaned, pulling back and pushing forward again and again.

Jude's clothing scrapped against the brick wall behind her, up and down. They groaned together as Tommy moved, grinding their pelvises against one another's until Jude was screaming, pulling at the roots of his hair. Tommy groaned, leaning up to kiss Jude's lip as they came together. Their last kiss was gentle, soft, and caring. Jude held Tommy's face, and his hands remained under her thighs, as they kissed. They pulled away, silently, and she dropped to the floor, adjusting her skirt.

"Uhm...so…we'll talk later?" Jude asked as Tommy adjusted himself and his clothing.

"Sure…" Tommy nodded, awkwardly, as he turned and walked away.

"Tommy?" Jude called, not liking the way things ended. He didn't say anything, but he turned around, rubbing his chin in frustration. He stalked over to where Jude was still standing. He grabbed the back of her neck and he kissed her. There were no cameras, no audience, just them. The kiss was powerful, passionate, but Jude could sense the frustration under his lips. Then, he turned and walked away. This time, Jude didn't stop him.

Meanwhile, Keith was standing over G-Major's neighboring business. He was walking by, hoping for a shot of the new pop princess, Jude Harrison, when he noticed the drama going on between Jude and her producer. Not wanting to be caught, he hightailed it into the next business building and making his way onto the roof. Lucky for him, he had his camcorder and caught the whole show. He smiled, hitting the "off" key, knowing that he had just put his four children through college.

Jude decided to walk home from the studio after what had happened in the alleyway. She couldn't wrap her mind about what she did with Tommy, and it had been so amazing. As the idea began to settle in her mind, she smiled. She walked, swaying her hips back and forth, as she became like a giddy little child again. Sure, things had been a tad awkward afterwards, and he did just walk away, but it happened. He finally showed her that he cared, and she was able to do the same. She reached the Harrison home within her usual twenty minutes, seeing Sadie's car in the driveway.

Jude walked up the walkway, opening the door. She wiped the smile off her face, not in the mood to answer Sadie's questions. She saw her sister running around the kitchen with papers scattered everywhere. "Jude!" she yelled when she noticed her sister.

"Sadie, what's going on?"

"Vin's album should be done within the month, and Darius has me organizing his tour, but of course, it can't be simple. He wants me to organize a club tour, with some stadiums thrown in. What is that? Plus, some of the venues aren't cooperating, and it's just driving me insane because I can't start advertising until I know where he's going."

"Wow, Sades, seems like being Director of PR isn't as easy as you thought it would be, huh?"

"Shut up, Jude; just check your fan forums like a good little girl."

"Excuse me, isn't that your job?" Jude laughed, pointing at her.

"Jude, I haven't gotten the chance to check your fan forums this week; you wanna do it? Or do you wanna leave it unattended and get backhanded at your next interview?"

"Alright, alright," Jude laughed, sitting in the computer chair and rolling over to the family's computer. "…" she mumbled as she typed, listening to Sadie's heel's tap against the kitchen floor. "Hmm," she continued as the page loaded. "A lot of viewers on right now," she called to Sadie.

"Did something happen?" Sadie asked, alarmed, and heading into the hallway, file in hand.

"Not that I know of…" Jude whispered; a heavy thumping in her chest began. The page finally loaded, and Jude could see what her fans were looking at.

"Bootleg Jude Harrison Performance, HD Quality of Park Performance."

"Sades, it's okay; a fan just posted a video of my performance in the park with Spied."

"Alright, well I'm going to go on with this then," Sadie said, walking back into the kitchen. Jude plopped her chin onto her fist, scrolling through the rest of the site.

Meanwhile, as Tommy arrived at his apartment, he was fighting an inner battle. "Why did I do that? How could I lose control like I did? Sure, a kiss, no problem, but just completely fucked up our relationship. Wait, relationship? Friendship! My god, Quincy, can't you control your fucking hormones? Who knows if she even feels the same? Well, she definitely felt something, but that's not the point…How will things be now? Does she want to be with me?"

Tommy threw his jacket onto the coffee table and threw himself onto the couch. He leaned over his knees, roughing pushing his fingers through his hair and closing his eyes. He saw an empty water bottle sitting next to his jacket, so he stood, forcefully smacking it across the room. He stalked into the kitchen and opened the fridge, grabbing a beer. As he twisted the top off, he noticed a candy wrapper sticking out of his garbage. He lowered the beer bottle from his lips and walked over to the trashcan. He slowly pulled out a wax wrapper for a dum-dum lollypop, Jude's favorite. He smiled as he pictured her sitting on his counter, beer in hand, watching the hockey game with him, and sucking on a blue raspberry lollypop, the kind that turned her tongue and lips blue. Yet, she always looked adorable.

He sighed, polishing off his beer and picking up his cell. He threw the empty bottle into the sink, wincing at the loud shattering that sounded, and he dialed Jude's cell number. He listened patiently as the ring sounded again and again, waiting for her to pick up. He started to panic when she didn't answer. "Maybe she's mad at me. Maybe she hates me after mauling her in the alley. Maybe she's mad I walked away without saying anything. But I'm trying to say something now! I want to make up for it…Calm yourself, Quincy, just leave a message…" But he didn't get the change because she answered, but she didn't say a word.

"Jude?" he finally asked, "You there?"

"Go to hell, Asshole."

And she hung up.


	11. Shame

"Shame"

Chapter Ten

_"Maybe she's mad at me. Maybe she hates me after mauling her in the alley. Maybe she's mad I walked away without saying anything. But I'm trying to say something now! I want to make up for it…Calm yourself, Quincy, just leave a message…" But he didn't get the change because she answered, but she didn't say a word._

_"Jude?" he finally asked, "You there?"_

_"Go to hell, Asshole."_

_And she hung up._

Back at the Harrison House…

Jude was dragging a ten of hearts to sit under a jack of spades when Sadie pulled the chair. Jude flew onto the floor and looked up at her sister. "What is wrong with you?"

"The opportunity was just too good," she laughed, waving her thumb for Jude to get up.

"But Sades," Jude whined, "I was winning."

"Jude, it's solitaire, you'll get over it," she sat down and looked at the screen, "You weren't even winning!" Jude smiled angelically and walked into the kitchen for a snack.

"Jude?" Sadie called, hesitantly.

"What?" she called back, absentmindedly.

"How hard did you look through your site?" something in Sadie's voice worried Jude, so she paused peeling the apple she had in her hands.

"I browsed, why?"

"Come here!" Sadie yelled. Jude dropped the apple and ran into the hallway. Sadie refreshed and saw a warning pop up.

"The following material has been blocked from younger viewers due to explicit material. Continue only if you are over the age of eighteen. To do so, please press 'Okay.' To exit, please press 'Cancel.'" Jude mumbled, confused. Sadie bit her lip and pressed okay, watching the page open up with a video of her baby sister having sex with her producer in an alleyway.

"Oh, my god!" Jude yelled, covering her mouth and backing away.

"What did you do, Jude?" Sadie turned, looking at her sister, who was backed against the wall with tears in her eyes.

"Sadie! All the kids…they'll just click okay…my fans…my family…my respect," Jude immediately started crying, sliding down the wall and hugging her legs to her chest.

"Jude, who was there when this happened?" Sadie stood, slouching next to her sister and rubbing her back, "We can catch who did this, but it will be hard considering how open it was."

"We didn't plan it," Jude said through her sobs, "It just happened." Her sobs made her voice high pitched and nasally. She leaned into the arms of her older sister for comfort; Sadie laid her head on top of Jude's and rubbed her back, letting her sister cry.

"I can't believe this is happening…what will Darius do?" Jude whispered.

"Nothing, he'll understand how upset you are. Don't worry about him, Jude; I need to know who would do this."

"The press?" Jude asked.

"Maybe," Sadie mumbled, biting her lip in thought, "Who would be that desperate for this attention?" Jude bit her lip, drawing blood.

"He wouldn't..." Jude whispered, rubbing the black tear tracks off of her cheeks, "He couldn't...I actually care about him!"

"Who, Jude?" Sadie asked, continuing to rub Jude's back.

"Sadie, I haven't been completely honest..." Jude mumbled, the sobs building up in her throat once again, "Tommy became my producer because he was blackmailing me. I screwed up one night and ended up waking up in this guy's bed. Tommy was his neighbor, and I pretended I was with Tommy in front of the press. Tommy threatened to tell everyone the truth unless I helped him become a producer. What if he did this! Sades, I actually was starting to fall for him!"

"There was always something about him that I didn't like," Sadie said, angrily, shaking her head and pursing her lips.

"Stop and breath, it was just an awful dream, a nightmare, a night scare, nothing to worry about, stop and breath..." Jude's ring tone sounded, she looked at the screen.

"It's Tommy," Jude whispered, looking at Sadie for advice. Her sister motioned to the phone, so Jude answered, but she didn't say anything.

"Jude?" she heard, "You there?"

"Go to hell, Asshole!" she yelled before she could stop herself. Shocked at her own behavior, Jude hung up and threw the phone down.

"Good for you," Sadie told her, as Jude began crying again.

For the next three days, Jude wasn't at work. Tommy thought she wanted some space, and gave her that. Jude, on the other hand, wanted to hear his explanation, but she refused to call him first. Sadie made excuses for Jude around G-Major, explaining that she was sick and hadn't taken off in months anyway. Darius let it slide, but by day three, he decided to give her a call. Jude explained that, "she was just dealing with some personal things...no, she didn't need anything...no, she doesn't have a song...she's blocked...yes, she'll be in tomorrow." When Darius was satisfied he let her go to curl up in bed and sleep before dealing with Tommy when she walked into work that morning.

"Jude!" Tommy saw her from across the lobby. She had left her hair down and put on sunglasses. She knew everyone would recognize her; she was just hoping to not be noticed. Tommy grabbed the bag of Dum-Dum lollypops he had picked up for her and ran to the doors. Jude just shook her head and headed straight for Studio C, the "closet" where artists went to get away and get some writing done. Luckily, the door had a lock on it, so Jude was safe from Tommy from the time being. "Jude..." he called, leaning against the door.

"I'm busy, Tommy, go away!"

"Jude, you know we need to talk."

"About what? How greedy you are? And selfish!"

"What?"

"You have absolutely no consideration for anyone else. It's not even a matter of consideration, but respect! You used me! I feel disgusting, and now, you've basically ruined my life."

"Jude, I know that it took me awhile to call you, and I send some weird messages after what happened, but don't you think you're being a little dramatic?"

"Dramatic!! No! Tommy, I don't think I'm being dramatic! All right? And don't play all nice-guy, 'kay? I do check my website every once in awhile; I know what you did."

"What? Website...Jude, what are you talking about?"

"Just leave me alone..." Tommy could hear her sobbing begin, so he let it go. He headed over to the computers in the lobby of G-Major and pulled out his iPod. He plugged the headphones into the modem and opened the internet. "" he typed out, clicking enter and looking around the lobby; no one was paying him any mind. He read the warning, confused, and hit "enter." "Instant Star Porn," was the title of the page, replacing , and he watched himself and Jude having sex. He quickly exited the page and shut down the computer. He stood up, holding his stomach. He felt sick. Of course, Jude would blame him. "Does she think I set it up?" Tommy thought to himself, "Or does she think I pressured her? Either one isn't good, but she can't possibly think I would do this to her...I couldn't..." Tommy asked Darius for the master key, explaining that Jude was mad at him, and he wanted to get into Studio C to apologize. Darius laughed and handed the key over, knowing how emotional Jude could get.

Tommy walked headed back to the studio, determination in his eyes. Everyone watched him walk, wondering what the latest scandal is and why Jude was throwing a diva fit. No one cared enough, though, to follow him. Jude was, more of less, a pretty chill artist, not a diva; everyone figured whatever was going on would blow over within the week.

"Jude, I'm coming in," Tommy warned, leaning against the door to Studio C.

"No! Tommy..." Jude called back, but Tommy was already turning the key and opening the door. "Tommy!" she yelled, looking up from her seat on the couch, "I said no!"

"Well, we need to talk," he demanded, crossing his arms over his chest as he stood above her.

"Why?" Jude bit out, tucking her ankles under her as she sat on the couch.

"Because, I need to know what you think I did to you," he sat down next to her on the couch and tried to take her hands, but she ripped them out of his grasp. "I saw the video, and it made me sick. Jude, you have to believe that I would never set that up; it exploited me too!"

"Yeah, exploited the fact that you banged a rock star!" she yelled, standing up and stepping away from him, "Poor, poor you! You become a popular playboy; you get girls throwing themselves at you and the respect of every hormonal guy out there! Excuse me, a girl who loses her respect, her image, and self-worth, for feeling victimized."

"I get it," Tommy said, trying to stay calm and considerate, "But Jude, you still have to believe that I would never, ever do something like this intentionally. We weren't thinking that day, and if we were it wouldn't have happened, especially not somewhere in the open."

"I get it," Jude said in a mocking tone, repeating his words, "You don't get it! Just get out! I can't stand you!" She was screaming, tears in her eyes, as she grabbed the sleeve of Tommy's shirt and, as forcefully as she could, threw him out of the room. Tommy was so surprised at the emotion, the hatred, she showcased that he couldn't help but stumble out of the room. He turned around only to have the door slammed in his face.

Tommy wiped his palm over his eyes and down his face, trying to relax and calm his frustration. He placed his hand on his hip as he turned around to head outside. He was surprised to turn right into the lens of a camera, and Darius' surprised expression. "T-, what's going on?" Darius asked.

"It's a long story," Tommy said, shoving the camera out of his face. The feeble boy holding it was scared, but he knew this was gold. Tommy growled at him, but continued speaking to Darius, "Why don't you ask your head of P.R. what's going on with Jude? You may change your camera policy."

"Toby, here, is filming G-Major for a special on the best recording studios in Canada; he's supposed to be here, but I will talk to Sadie." Darius walked away, leaving Tommy to shake his head and angrily leave G-Major.

By the next morning, Toby had released the footage as a "Jommy Breakup."


End file.
